November 18-19, 2004

ITEM 125-2401-R1104Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor
Emeritus of Extension upon Dr. LeRoy D. Luft, Montana State University-Bozeman

THAT: Upon
the occasion of the retirement of LeRoy D. Luft from Montana State University,
the Board of Regents wishes to express its appreciation for his service to the
University, the Montana University System, and the people of the state of
Montana.

EXPLANATION: LeRoy
Luft received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from
Montana State University in Agricultural Economics. He completed a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the
University of Nebraska. LeRoy devoted
his career to providing education to local people through the land grant
university system.

LeRoy has had a long and distinguished career with Montana
State University Extension. The first 5
years of his career he served as a County Extension agent in Wibaux, Richland
and Teton Counties. He then assumed the
MSU Extension Farm Management Specialist and Extension Economist
responsibilities for the following 12 years.
The next step for LeRoy was into Extension administration when he was
selected as the Associate Director and then, Acting Director for the MSU
Cooperative Extension Service. LeRoy was then named the Associate Dean of the
College of Agriculture and Director of the Idaho Cooperative Extension
System. His leadership soon won him the
confidence of decision makers at the University of Idaho and his work responsibilities
expanded as reflected in the addition of Associate Vice Provost and Outreach to
his title. After retiring from the
University of Idaho, LeRoy returned to Montana. He was asked to assume the Vice Provost and Director of Extension
for Montana State University on an interim basis, which he accepted for a
1-year term. During that year, he
provided effective leadership and direction for the MSU Extension Service. He represented the Extension Service very
effectively at the legislature and in a variety of other venues as needed or
requested.

Significant to LeRoy’s distinguished career with the
Extension Service, first in Montana and then in Idaho, is the influence he had
on the outreach function of the land grant university. LeRoy served as chair and as a member on
numerous national and state committees charged with defining the direction and
leadership for Extension and Outreach.
The list of committee titles would be long, but three examples are the
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy - Legislative Committee, the
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy - Budget Committee and the
NASULGC Executive Committee. The work of these groups extended across the
nation and throughout the land grant system.
LeRoy’s message was always consistent.
The Land Grant University has a responsibility to educate and serve
local citizens. Perhaps this thinking
provided the basis for the current “engaged university” trends of today.

In addition to a long and distinguished career with
Extension, LeRoy served as President and Senior Agricultural Economist for the
Agricultural Management and Economic Consulting firm for nearly 5 years. He worked directly with agricultural
producers helping them obtain the information needed to make beneficial
decisions for their businesses and families.
LeRoy also experienced the international community through consulting
assignments in Egypt that strengthened his commitment to the value and
importance of outreach from the land grant university.

LeRoy has received several awards for the work he has done
through the Extension Service. These
attest to the many significant contributions he has made over the years. The Distinguished Ruby Award given for
outstanding leadership in Extension by the National Extension Honorary, Epsilon
Sigma Phi; The Visionary Leadership Recognition Award given for exemplary
leadership by the Idaho Extension Honorary, Epsilon Sigma Phi; International
Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame given by The Center at University
of Oklahoma are but a few examples of the recognition LeRoy has received from
some of the strongest critics - his peers.

For these and other contributions, the Board of Regents of
Higher Education is pleased to confer upon LeRoy Luft the rank of Professor
Emeritus of Extension at Montana State University and wishes him well for many
years in the future.